Please excuse me Erei, you´re such a well-behaved example of a Chelaxian, one cannot guess it you are one! Most Chelaxians, Taldans and Andorans make sure to tell you where they are from at first sight.
As the party tries to go on stealthily, Leto turns around:
I´ll make a guess. There are those who had to be careful when getting to the cookie jar at night and those who got it placed next to their bed by their mum. He smiles on his joke.
A Chelaxian huh? Never met one personally before,seen a few around the city, I think, don't know too much about em. Your kind got some weird beliefs or somethin Erei?
Mom never let me have cookie's, said they are bad for the health, matter of fact.
Tunar grumbles as he does his best to move quietly, somewhat missing the joke.
Erei will cast prestidigitation on the cloak to clean it.
I'm not very...quiet. So if people want to sneak around, it should probably be a scout sneaking in without the rest of us noisy folk.
As you pass through the front of the courtyard Setesh hears it first. The sounds of an angry mob coming up the hill towards the gates, which you now notice have swung shut while you were off fighting. A woman’s voice cries out in Ancient Osiriani, Hold the gates! Don’t let them inside the compound! Powerful blows shake and rattle the gates, and you get the sense that a horde of people are about to break through.
"What in the Nine Hells is happening now!?"
Someones asking for a fight it sounds like. Things sound like they are about to get fun!
Tunar keeps his sword at the ready.
Unfortunately, there really isn't much Setesh can do against haunts (which is what this sounds like it is), so he will just stand there, looking around frantically :-/
"Someone is shouting out in ancient Osiriani for people to hold the gates and to not let someone in the compound."
A sense of dread grows as the voices get louder and the gate starts shaking even more. It's hard to believe they are still holding. Several of you, realizing it is nothing to fear, calm yourselves down. For Erei and Tunar, you aren't sure where the feeling is coming from, but something is telling you this isn't what it seems to be. Your first instinct is to run as this sense of dread threatens to drown you.
"That was... unsettling. Let's keep moving."
Erei starts to back away, slowly at first but starting to move faster.
We...uhh...we should probably do the opposite of that. Something is definitely wrong here.
"I'm with Erei, I think we should reconsider our current choices, Idunnowhathawas but I don't want anything to do with it."
Tunar moves right along with Erei, though he doesn't start out quite as slow, instead, he immediately hits a trot.
"I think we can all agree that whatever just happened wasn't a normal occurrence. I think that we need to think on what's going on and whether or not we should expect similar things as we continue."
Nevai headed back to look out of the open gates before returning to his companions.
"I'm not certain, but we know there aren't many people in this section of the city and there's no one at the gates now. Perhaps it was some kind of... echo? From when the people lived here long ago?"
Setesh looks flabbergasted as Erei and Tunar flee.
"What!? Come on, you two - there's nothing to be frightened of; we faced down those two big centipedes - you don't need to run from sound..."
Tunar continues fleeing, clearly trying to get as far away from the sound as possible.
Calling over his shoulder he huffs, clearly not fully with it.
"Says you, giant insects be one thing, strange noises be another!"
"He's afraid of simple magic and echoes of spirits of the past, but not a 15 foot tall vicious centipede that took a huge bite out of him? I can't imagine what path led him to that mindset..." Nevai muttered as he trotted off after the fleeing duo.
Mh that was quite scary. It sounded like a whole army or something!
After scrambling through the remains of the dead Erei and Tunar calm down and find themselves hiding in the back corner of the western lawn. A few deep breathes and their hearts calm back down to normal.
"Right. Well, if you have recovered, shall we continue...?"
Setesh returns to the path the party was intending to take before the 'magical fear' overcame several party members.
After recovering, Tunar shakes his head, grumbling to himself.
"No one ever said there would be evil spirits or strange magical things or what not. Bad business this is looking to be."
After hearing Setesh Tunar does his best to retain whatever dignity he has left.
"Right then, onwards I suppose, ain't gonna be gettin no money if we don't."
Tunar looks around, clearly keeping an ear out for any more "strange" noises.
Almathea looks thoughtfully at the broken gate. "I think that perhaps this was a haunt. If so, repairing the gate and blessing it with holy water would put it to rest. That is, if we are interested in bothering to do so. I do wonder though if any other areas here are haunted? Perhaps we may see a ghost or some such thing."
Erei collects himself and starts to head back toward the group, albeit cautiously.
This might be a time for an abundance of caution.
"Would a bless spell be sufficient, or is holy water required? If so, I'll have to come back to put these spirits to rest after we return to town, since I don't have any holy water on me."
"I guess I'm getting ahead of myself though, since we have to repair the gate first. I must admit, I'm not very talented with such things. Most of my experience has been in tending the animals of our caravan and fixing small things like saddle straps and such. If anyone can fix this gate, we can send these spirits on to see Pharasma now. Otherwise I'll have to come back tomorrow better prepared."
"Can't say I have much talent in such matters either, breaking them is more of my speciality."
I´ll try to fix the gate! Helped many times back at home.
Setesh watches Leto doubtfully.
"I'm not sure that's how you do it..."
Setesh gently steers Leto away from the gate, and then gently settles down to trying to fix it.
Thea stays by Setesh and watches him work. She would like this to work and put the haunt to rest.
It only takes a minute or two to fix the gate. They are old and the the lock is a little bent with age but some well placed taps with your mace and some improvisation on the hinges go a long way.
"Well, I think that is the best I can do for the moment. Nevai? Would you care to do the honors, and bestow your [i]Bless[i/]ings upon this area, to put the souls to rest?"
"Thanks for your help. I'm sure the souls of those here appreciate it as well. Be at peace," Nevai said before taking out a scroll and bestowing a blessing of Horus upon the gate.
"No trouble at all. I am just happy that we are able to send them on to their final rest. Shall we continue?"
So saying, Setesh continues round to the other side of the building, continuing to check-out the grounds.
"Well, glad that was resolved, hopefully there won't be any more of em spooks round now and they can rest all pretty and such."
Tunar will follow after Setesh, keeping his distance to let the cookie thieves do their thing.
The unlocked gate swings open easily.
---
A spacious yard fills the compound east of the house. To the east, several small stone outbuildings have been built right into the compound’s outer wall. A well stands between two of these outbuildings, opposite a stone table and benches that sit in the shadow of the house. To the west, two sets of steps, both flanked by columns, lead up to doors into the main house. To the northwest, an open doorway leads into an extension of the house, next to a small structure with a domed roof.
---
As you slowly enter the yard you hear some rustling from the building closest to the gate. Moments later, two black-furred, two-headed dogs, as large as horses, emerge from the building. Another comes from around the far corner of the building to see what has disturbed their sleep. Tiny worms crawl on throughout their mangy hides.
Erei will move stay behind the frontliners and begin to sing.